The Outsiders (1983) - A Fertile Ground for Future Superstars

I will always remember The Outsiders (1983) for many reasons. The first reason is that I grew up as a greaser and we had a few altercations of our own with the socs. The other reason was for the group of young talented actors that Francis Ford Coppola brought together and how far their careers went after this movie.

When you think about some of the great actors and actresses of our time you remember back to the first time they caught your eye. It is not necessarily the first movie they appeared in or even the first movie that you saw them in, but it's the movie that made you really see them. It would be a good family activity on a weekday night to sit around and remember when a big star first caught your eye. Some of my examples are:

• Meryl Streep 1978 in Kramer vs. Kramer

• Cate Blanchet 2001 in Lord of the Rings; The Fellowship of the Ring

• Will Wheaton 1986 in Stand by Me

• Russel Crowe 1997 in LA Confidential

Like The Outsiders I remember The Lords of Flatbush (1974) for the actors it gave us. There in their leather jackets were Sylvester Stallone before Rocky or Rambo and Henry Winkler before The Fonz.

I do not think there is another move, like The Outsiders, that brought so many future superstars together. Francis Ford Coppola brings to life an S.E. Hinton novel about a group of young men from the wrong side of the tracks. It is a coming-of-age story and a story of senseless violence for petty reasons. Pony Boy (played by C. Thomas Howell) is the diamond in the rough. He is a sensitive boy who sees beyond the tough streets of his home. His life is turned inside out when he and his best friend Johnny Cade (played by Ralph Macchio) are attacked and Johnny ends up killing one of the attackers. The story is well done and enjoyable in its own right but it is a real plus to sit and watch so many young stars perform. This is what I mean by, so many young stars.

• C. Thomas Howell before The Breakfast Club
• Emilo Estevez before The Breakfast Club
• Matt Dillion before The Flamingo Kid
• Ralph Macchio before The Karate Kid
• Patrick Swayze before Dirty Dancing
• Rob Lowe before St. Elmo's Fire
• Tom Cruise before Taps

It is a great movie to see with a group of young people so that you can watch their reactions when the recognize each of the stars.

This movie may be purchased from:

CD Universe - http://www.cduniverse.com

Amazon - http://amazon.com

Yahoo Movies - http://movies.yahoo.com